Communiation Crisis Paper
COMMUNICATION AND CRISIS PAPER
Carol Foster
HCS/320
Dr. Marcia Baker
March 11, 2013
As the director of the regional Emergency Management Office I have received an official report that the water supply of several towns in the area has become contaminated with a life threatening biological agent. Contamination of the water supply is an extremely delicate situation. People lives are I immense danger. Several people have been rushed to the emergency room because of the water supply being contaminated. There is no solid information on how our water supply was polluted. The hospital has reported that the people that are being treated are experiencing symptoms of nose bleed, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, blurred vision and severe abdomen pain and ask if you are experience any of the symptoms to seek medical help as soon as possible. Contingency plans will and must be addressed within this organization and with the public without creating a panic. We will do all that is in our power to get our water supply back and under control.
There will be a brief conference to ensure the community that we are doing all that we can to get this crisis taken care of and to try to put the public at ease. I will request that the Governor and the director of the water waste manger to attend this press conference as well. It is my job as the Emergency Management office to put a group together that will communicate inside and outside of the organization during this crisis. First on the agenda is to acquire the assist of the Fox Group. This organization has offered to train and to come in to help us to deal with “crisis communication training and media crisis training”. The Fox Group will teach us how to respond to television and radio criticism we will become familiar with what to say and what not to say, there will be questions that we are not prepared to answer. We will learn to avoid certain types of situation so that we will not make matters worse. There
Carol Foster
HCS/320
Dr. Marcia Baker
March 11, 2013
As the director of the regional Emergency Management Office I have received an official report that the water supply of several towns in the area has become contaminated with a life threatening biological agent. Contamination of the water supply is an extremely delicate situation. People lives are I immense danger. Several people have been rushed to the emergency room because of the water supply being contaminated. There is no solid information on how our water supply was polluted. The hospital has reported that the people that are being treated are experiencing symptoms of nose bleed, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, blurred vision and severe abdomen pain and ask if you are experience any of the symptoms to seek medical help as soon as possible. Contingency plans will and must be addressed within this organization and with the public without creating a panic. We will do all that is in our power to get our water supply back and under control.
There will be a brief conference to ensure the community that we are doing all that we can to get this crisis taken care of and to try to put the public at ease. I will request that the Governor and the director of the water waste manger to attend this press conference as well. It is my job as the Emergency Management office to put a group together that will communicate inside and outside of the organization during this crisis. First on the agenda is to acquire the assist of the Fox Group. This organization has offered to train and to come in to help us to deal with “crisis communication training and media crisis training”. The Fox Group will teach us how to respond to television and radio criticism we will become familiar with what to say and what not to say, there will be questions that we are not prepared to answer. We will learn to avoid certain types of situation so that we will not make matters worse. There
References: Zoeteman, B. J., Kersten, W. C., Vos, W. F., de Voort, L, & Ale, M (2010). Communication management during risk evens and crises in a globalized world: Predictability of domestic media attention for calamities, Journal of risk research, 13 (3), 279-30. Doi: 10, 1080/13669870902955427 Communicating in the Workplace Thomas Cheesebro, Linda O’Connor, Francisco Rios Stephenson, D. R. (1982). How to Turn Pitfalls into Opportunities in Crisis Situations. Public Relations Quarterly, 27 (3), 11.